“Bye Mimi,” Ever waved.

  ^Brrrhh Errerrrr!^ She said through happy, munching sounds.

  He closed the door and locked it behind him. The sky looked quite overcast; it was a wonder that he hadn’t been caught in the rain yet. I’ve got to remember to get an umbrella.

  He started walking down the familiar path to Pagoto’s. While he hadn’t been living at Mimi’s house for very long, it had been long enough that he could now trust his legs to take him to his destination so that he could think.

  And he needed to think. The first thing he did when he woke up was look at the message he’d typed up to Zoe before he fell asleep, hastily deleting it. He knew she could see ghosts, Death had said that he’d already told him once why she might be able to do this.

  Then earlier in the week, by pure chance, he met with Captain Dunstan and Albert, the former a ghost who the latter could apparently see. Albert was one of the oldest people that he’d seen so far. Was this the reason why he could see the ghost of his captain? Because he was at the precipice between life and death?

  The pedestrian crossing light chirped excitedly, signalling that Ever could cross the road.

  *Mentor.*

  At first, nothing. Then, the subtle shift in mental state as a second being plugged into his mind.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Yeeeesss?

  *I’m trying to figure out why Zoe and Albert the veteran can see ghosts.*

  And why would you be doing that?

  *Well… I guess I’m curious, that’s all.*

  Curiosity killed the cat.

  Ever looked left and right before jogging across a street; the phrase made him think of the ghost cat who refused to be reaped. Was curiosity Nika's cause of death?

  I guess it is good though that you’re using your brain.

  Ever was at the final stretch; Pagoto’s was just ahead. He raised his left and right hand, pretending one was Zoe and the other Albert. One could see the souls of animals, the other could see souls of people, well, one person. There was a missing piece.

  *Mentor, you told me that you ‘weren’t going to tell me again’. I’ve thought and thought, but I don’t remember when you told me when humans can see souls.*

  I did tell you, you were probably just too new to it all to remember what was going on.

  Ever stopped in the middle of the path. New to it all? How long had it been since he woke up in the park? How many souls had he helped cross over since the beginning? He cast his mind back, flying through the reapings in reverse until he was back at the retirement home for his very first one.

  His eyes widened. Her name was Margaret; she had a 'disobedient heart' and he needed to find her tablets. It wasn’t Margaret who was the key, it was who else at the retirement home could see Margaret. With a big, silly grin on his face, he walked into the ice cream shop. He now had a theory. He just had to prove it by speaking with Albert tomorrow.